New town, new man By Tom MercerCarbondale-ish Alven Smith was a reclusive, 50-year-old bachelor. Most people who knew Alven regarded him as “painfully shy,” or worse yet “possibly anti-social.” And, over time, Alven had become aware of his unfortunate reputation, but did not know what he could do about it. Then, one day, Alven’s landlord […]
Works in Progress
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Forever inked, forever young
At the “Visceral Alchemy: Fine Art + Tattoo” exhibit at Carbondale Arts, I find a temporary tattoo of a human heart, rendered more anatomically faithful than the two humps and sharp point of an emoji. But the aorta, pulmonary artery and venae cavae of this tiny tattoo heart are plants and vines. Planets float inside […]
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Works in Progress
Remembering Mike Bouchet August 23, 1964 – June 1, 2025 Jen BouchetCarbondale Mike believed in connection and had a rare gift for it. “Mike’s magic, pass it on” began as a simple phrase during his celebration of life, inspired by his extraordinary ability to connect with people across differences and make others feel seen, welcomedand […]
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Works in Progress
TRUTHBy Nancy Bo FloodMemorial Day 2025 This Memorial Day is especially meaningful as I reflect on the many people in my family, in our country, through many generations, who have given years of their lives to protect democracy and freedom for us. How can their contributions be minimized, even erased from history? I am deeply […]
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Works in Progress
Springtime and dandelions Young people from across the Valley wrote poetry for the inaugural Dandelion Day Youth Poetry Contest. Zizi Levine had one of the winning poems, “dwarf star.” And we threw in a couple of extras from fourth graders Henrietta and Chase from Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork. dwarf star By Zizi Levine […]
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Works in Progress
Poem for my momBy Megan Flood For Nancy Bo Flood, from her daughter, Megan, following a retreat in Chacala by the sea. I don’t want to try with poetryI just want to smell the guava ripening on our windowsill,Taste the silk and crunch of the flan in the stickyPlastic cup And celebrate the pelican As […]
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Works in Progress – April 30, 2026
Excerpt #4By Golda Wolfe All rights reserved by the author. The simplest explanation for why Baron von Lingenhoven felt tired every morning was that he did not sleep well. His ex-partner Buzz White was so enthralled by Vail’s skiing that he had forgotten to mention the traffic grinding day and night along the interstate that […]
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‘April is the cruelest month …’
This is an excerpt from an essay written by Pat Noel about the explosion in the Dutch Creek No. 1 Mine in Coal Basin on April 15, 1981. The full essay can be found in the late Stan K. Badett’s book “Digging in the Dark,” a copy of which was recently brought into The Sopris […]
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Works in Progress
A dog’s storyBy Tom MercerCarbondale-ish It was a rainy August morning when Alan first heard the scratching on his front door. Initially, Alan simply ignored the sound, assuming it was a tree branch that had broken off of the tree in his front yard. But for a half-hour the sound persisted, so Alan stood up […]